Goodnight
by animalkid99
Summary: "He volunteered for Rory. Just like I volunteered for Prim. We trained together. We both got elevens. I guarded him while he got the supplies during the bloodbath. We shared the bow and arrows until we had the supplies to make another set. We helped each other run from the fireballs and the tracker jackers. We got through the hallucinations together." AU Galeniss!


**I was typing this at like 12:30 am last night… **

**I read the books in like fifth grade, so Rue is a little OOC. It's a bit AU, obviously. **

**Full Summary: Gale and Katniss are in the Hunger Games together. They ally with Rue and make a plan to destroy the Career's food supply. Katniss volunteers to go, but Gale won't let her. This is the end. **

***Gives complimentary box a tissues* hopefully you'll need this…**

* * *

GALE'S P.O.V.

I turn around and look back at Katniss. She's standing behind a tree. She smiles and mouths "You can do this."

I nod and sneak towards the Career camp. Smoke rises above the trees and they shout and point towards it. They all run towards it with their various weapons. I pull out an arrow and point it towards a bag of apples. It's on the pile of food that the Careers have taken.

The first arrow rips the bag. The second one widens the whole and an apple almost comes out. The third arrow gets the job done.

The apples seem to fall slowly. I turn and run towards the trees, towards Katniss. She came back from lighting the fire in the woods and is waiting for me. There's a loud bang behind me.

And my world explodes.

Suddenly, I'm flying through the air. Katniss is on the ground and starting to stand up. I hit the ground hard. I feel a couple of cracks and my head hits a rock. The world is spinning and there is fire everywhere. I can't hear anything, just a loud, high-pitched ringing. All I can feel is pain. Katniss is screaming, I think. I can see her mouth moving as she runs towards me. Rue is running right behind her and carrying a bag.

The next thing is see is blackness.

* * *

"_Am I dead?"_

"_No, son. Just badly injured. Very badly injured."_

_The man that looks like my father walks towards me. He's wearing his mining uniform and carrying a pickaxe. _

"_If I'm not dead, why are you here?"_

"_It's a dream, Gale. Nothing else."_

"_Oh. Okay. Is Katniss's dad here, too?"_

"_No. You aren't really dead, Gale. I just told you that."_

_He smiles at me. I can see the chip in his tooth were he banged his mouth on a door. Completely not my fault._

"_Wake up, Gale. Now."_

"Are you, are you  
Coming to the tree  
where I told you to run, so we'd both be free.  
Strange things did happen here  
No stranger would it seen  
if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

"Katniss, he probably can't hear you."

"Why?"

"I think his ears were damaged."

"Oh. Okay. I think- Wait! He moved! Did you see that?"

I force my eyes open long enough to see Katniss staring at me. Then I pass out again.

KATNISS'S P.O.V.

It shouldn't be happening. I shouldn't be sitting here, watching my best friend die. I don't want this. I never did. It scares me to think about what will happen if I win these Games. If I have to go home and face his family. See their faces. Answer the unasked question of "Why didn't you save him?"

He volunteered for Rory. Just like I volunteered for Prim. We trained together. We both got elevens. I guarded him while he got the supplies during the bloodbath. We shared the bow and arrows until we had the supplies to make another set. We helped each other run from the fireballs and the tracker jackers. We got through the hallucinations together.

He's covered in blood. All his. Burns, cuts, broken bones, everything. Rue and I put the burn cream on the worst of his burns, but it did nothing. He's dying.

Rue comes up behind me and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Why don't you go outside for a bit? I'll watch him and come get you if anything happens."

I nod and go outside the cave. I think I fell asleep out there because a few minutes later there's a parachute next to me and the sun is going down. I grab the metal container and open it.

Inside is a syringe and a note. It says:

_Have mercy on the boy. _

_-H_

I know exactly what it is. The capital developed a serum to kill sick and fatally wounded people way before I was born.

Haymitch is helping. Helping me, helping Gale. I go inside to find Rue grinding an herb between two rocks. I show her the syringe and tell her about it.

"Haymitch is right. Gale isn't getting any better. It's the right thing to do, Katniss."

I nod.

GALE'S P.O.V.

The next time I wake up, Katniss and Rue are looking at me and Rue is holding a syringe. Katniss is crying and I know immediately what's in the syringe.

"Do you want a few minutes alone?" Rue asks.

Katniss nods and kneels down next to me. Rue slips out of the cave to wait.

"I'm going to miss you, Gale."

"Miss you too, Catnip." I choke out.

"Do you want me to sing it again?"

I nod, which sends pain shooting down my spine.

"_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Where they strung up a man they say murdered three._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it seen_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Where the dead man called out for his love to flee._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it seen_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it seen_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it seen_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Are you, are you_

_coming the tree_

_wear a necklace of rope as you stand by me_

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it seem_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._"

Her voice breaks about halfway through. I can see tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Goodnight, Girl on Fire."

She lets out a noise that's half sob, half laugh. Rue comes back in and Katniss grabs my hand. I stare at Katniss, wanting her face to be the last thing I see when I die. Rue slides the needle into my arm.

Sleep never felt so good.

KATNISS'S P.O.V.

Everything is a blur after that. I remember the cannon and Rue hugging me. And that's it. I find myself at a riverbank days later. I know Rue is dead, but I don't remember how she died. I know Gale is dead. I will never forget how he died. Never.

Another parachute lands next to me. Inside is Gale's token, a tiny metal bow and arrow on a string that he wore around his neck. There's a note, too.

_Look around, Girl on Fire. Smell the berries. I'm still betting on you._

_-H_

I do what Haymitch said and look around. There's a bush next to me.

And its branches are full of nightlock.

I grab a handful and stuff them in my mouth.

I will not be the Victor this year.

Prim and mother will be alone.

I will not be. Gale will not be.

District Twelve will not win.

Yet…

I have won. Gale has won.

"Goodnight, Panem."

It is true, what they say. Everything is more beautiful in the afterlife...

* * *

_That year, the Hunger Games had no victor. The Careers and Katniss were the only ones left when she died. The Careers all starved to death after their food was destroyed._

_Effie cried. Hard. Haymitch smiled sadly and left the room, whiskey in hand. The Gamemaker was excecuted for putting the nightlock in the arena _

_A rebellion started after the Games. President Snow was killed during a parade. Somebody shot him with an arrow while screaming "Gale and Katniss live!"_

_The whole county celebrated. The new president was elected a year later._

_It was Effie._

_Gale and Katniss became symbolic. Every year, two days were reserved for the country's heroes. All the districts were rebuilt and 13 finally came above ground. After five years, every district was like a huge Victor's Village, with big houses and lots of money. Katniss's mother and Prim moved to the Capital and bought an apartment that used to be Tribute quarters. Haymitch and Effie got married. _

_Gale's family stayed in district 12. The kids went to a free school, and his mother actually got some time to herself for once. _

_They sent the bodies home after the Games. Katniss had the string of Gale's token wrapped around her fingers and Gale was smiling. _

_After every show, Caesar Flickerman would say two famous lines:_

"_Goodnight, Girl on Fire, and goodnight, Panem!"_

* * *

**Now that that's over… **

**QUIZ TIME!**

**How did Gale's father chip his tooth?**

**A. He was in the Hunger Games**

**B. He was punched in the face**

**C. He was hit by a door**

**D. It was always like that**

**If you win, I'll write a story for you. You just have to tell me what it's about! **

**Read my profile. It's got a contest on it. You could win a sneak preview of my story-in-progress, The Magic Effect!**


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